Is there something wrong?

[Sammy]

A week ago, I aquired my Ronnnie, a 16" long bearded dragon, but after a week, hes eaten very little and i dont know if its because theres something wrong, heating or disease, etc. Is this normal or am i over-reacting?

 

[crypticdragons]

There is every chance it is just relocation stress this is a normal reaction to such a big move but id like to go over your care with you.

Where did you get him?
How old is he(to your knowledge)?
What type of feeders are you offering?
What kind of UV light are you using (brand type wattage and lenght if applicable)?
What are the temps in your tank (basking site and cool side)?
What are you taking the temperatures with?
What type of substrate are you using?
How big is the tank he is in?

If you could answer these we can go from there. Thanks

 

[crypticdragons]

oh and i forgot
welcome to the forum ;D

 

[renich]

Welcome to the forum! It very well could be relocation stress. Some beardies go through this period when they are in new surroundings. Do you know how old he is and what his past history is? In other words, did you rescue him or did he come from a good home with the correct setup?

 

[Sammy]

I got him from an old friend, hes 16" long (about 1yr old I think), I dont think he's been kept in adequate conditions, and hes been passed around a few times. Ive put coconut bark down for him until I get him a new 4ft vivarium with some calci-sand. His home-made vivarium that he's in at the moment is 3ft. There's a 24" Repti Glo 5.0 UVB, but no basking light. Im actually going to buy him a basking light and heat pad today. Temperature is about 77/78. I worry its not hot enough for him at the moment, but all he wants to do is come out and sit on my shoulder.

 

[crypticdragons]

you need a lot of care changes
here is a general breakdown of beardie care

Bearded Dragon Description

Bearded Dragons are a lizard originating from Australia. Their friendly demeanor and personality have enabled them to take the pet industry by storm. In the United States and Europe they are one of the most popular reptiles in the pet trade. They are relatively small compared to some reptilian pets, normally obtaining a length of 18-24 inches. They are omnivores eating both insects and vegetation. Once you have a habitat setup for them they are relatively easy to care for. But they are a commitment. These animals can live as long as 15 years or more in captivity. If you are prepared for it they are a wonderful addition to your family. Bearded Dragons (like other reptiles) are hypo-allergenic so those of you allergic to animals like cats and dogs have found your perfect little friend in a bearded dragon. Below is just a brief rundown of their care.


Bearded Dragon Care

If you are purchasing a hatchling you will need to have a minimum 20 gallon long tank (personally I suggest getting a 40 gallon breeder tank or larger so that you only have to purchase 1 tank). The 20 gallon long will be ok for your dragon until they reach 4 months of age. After that you will need to get a larger tank for your dragon. The 40 gallon breeder sized tank is the minimum size tank you can use. You will want to make sure you use a reptile screen top for the tank to keep your dragon from being able to jump/climb out. This will also give you something the place your lighting on.
You also will need a lining on the bottom of the tank. There are many options out there and many misleading ideas. I never suggest any loose substrate such as sand (calci sand, repti sand, or play sand), coconut fiber, or chopped walnut shells as all of these can cause deadly impaction (a blockage of the intestines) which can require surgery if not cause death. My personal suggestions are papertowels, newspaper, reptile carpet, or Slate Tile. All of these do no cause impaction and are easy to clean (I personally use slate tile as it aides in keeping their nails trimmed down and is very easy to clean).

You will want to have your lights purchased, set up, and temps tweaked before your dragon gets to you so that his/her home is ready. Bearded Dragons need UV lighting and heat. For UV light you can use either a tube uv bulb or a Mercury Vapor bulb. The best tube uv light on the market and the only tube bulb I suggest is the Reptisun 10.0. You can also use the Mercury Vapor bulb the best of these is the T Rex Mercury Vapor Bulb. There are many others on the market but none touch the output of the t rex. You need heat as well as the uv light. For heating you need to use either a bright white household bulb, a spot lamp, or if you are using the Mercury Vapor Bulb for your UV this also produces heat. You basking temperature needs to be between 100-115 on the basking site itself. The cool side of the tank needs to be in the low 80s. You want a temperature gradient in the tank so that the dragon can move under the heat or out from under it when he/she wants to.

You will need to keep accurate temps of your setup for the health of your dragon. The stick on thermometers do not work well. They are often off by as much as 20 degrees. The best options out are the handheld point and shoot styled temperature sensors. They are accurate to within .001 of a degree. You can also go to walmart and purchase a digital probe thermometer (has to be digital probe thermometer). With the probe thermometer you have to put the probe on the area you want checked. So the probe would have to be on the basking site for checking basking temp and be on the farthest part of the cool side to check cool side temps.

All of my dragons are raised on Dubia Roaches and Turkestan Roaches. But most will lean more towards crickets as many consider keeping roaches to be strange and gross. For those that roaches bring up all kinds of bad emotions there are crickets. Which are relatively cheap and easy to care for. You need to find a reputable source for these as once your baby starts eating well it just wont stop. A healthy baby can pound 40-100 appropriately sized crickets in a day. You need to make sure your live feeders are smaller than the space between your beardies eyes as large than this can cause impaction which is often deadly to dragons. You also need to find a place to get the veggies you will need. I tend to purchase my greens at the grocery as it is cheap and convenient. Feeding varies by the age of the dragon. While your dragon is a juvenile you will want to offer live feeders to your dragon 3 times a day as many as he or she can eat in 15 minutes and leave a salad of mixed veggies available at all times (chopped or torn). After the dragon is past a year old you can feed a live feeders 1 time a day. Make certain you always have greens available. Once your dragon is past the 18 month mark its diet should consist of about 75-80% veggies and 20-25% live feeders.

Supplementation
You will need to use Vitamin and Calcium Supplements for your dragon as it needs extra during the first year or two of life for healthy growth. On 1 feeding a day 5 days a week you should dust your live feeders with calcium powder containing d3. On 1 feeding 2 days a week you should dust your live feeders with a multivitamin powder made for reptiles.

Hydration

Especially when dragons are younger it is easy to dehydrate them. The high temps they require for proper digestion can cause them to dry out. Because of this I suggest that you soak your dragon in a warm but not hot bath 2-3 times a week. Once they get older you can lower this to 1-2 times a week. I prefer soaking to the spraying method as spraying can be bothersome to your beardie. The soaking also significantly helps with shedding.

Vet Care

The last thing is to make certain you are able to find a qualified Exotic Vet in your area. Just in case the health of your dragon goes bad you need to have access to a Veterinarian that is versed in the care of reptiles.

 

[Sammy]

Ahhhh, very helpful thanks. Would you suggest a wooden vivarium or a glass tank? ... Hopefully I will get him a new home today.

 

[crypticdragons]

personally i use the wooden tanks but either works well. just with a glass tank it is best to put a "wallpaper" up so that your dragon doesnt try to fight his reflection.

 

[Sammy]

Yes, I must admit, I like the wooden vivariums better ... thanks, I'l let you know what I get, and what difference it makes.

 

[Sammy]

One more thing ... for now, lol ...... would you recommend a tube or the mercury vapour bulb? ... and does the mercury vapour bulb do both, the vb light and the heat to bask in? .... gosh, i didnt realise this was gonna be so complicated, but it will be worth it when 'Ronnie' is settled and happy.

 

[crypticdragons]

I prefer MVB as they produce both heat and UV but it is mainly going to depend on money and the size of your tank.

 

[Sammy]

Hopefully, his new tank will be 48"/24"/24". If I get slate tile or reptile carpet for the floor, will I still need to put a tub in with sand for him to bury in? Thanks, uve been a great help.

 

[ladyknite]

A Sandbox isn't a definate "must have".
Give your dragon time to adjust, and watch his actions, especially at night as he prepares for sleep. Excessive digging may indicate that he would benefit from a sand box, but he will adjust without one if you choose not to add it to your decor.
Your biggest battle with the sandbox will be insects and bacterial control.

 

[Sammy]

Ahh , I think a sandbox is a big no no then. Thanks.

 

[Sammy]

Well, I just thought Id let u know about my "pet shop experience".
I went in with my list of stuff that I wanted for Ronnies new set-up.
A man named Bob owned the shop and served me ... he was a 'know-it-all'.
I said I wanted a 4ft vivarium, he said I only needed a 3ft vivarium, so thats what he gave me.
I said I wanted a Mercury Vapor bulb (heat and uvb in one) he said I didnt need that, and gave me a repti-glo strip light and a spot light.
I said I wanted slate or reptile carpet for the flooring, he just shoved in 3 bags of desert sand.
I said I wanted a heat mat, and yuppee, he gave me a heat mat.
... so anyway, my little Ronnie is now a happy chappy, but im still not sure about the sand.

Il let you know how Ronnie does over the next few days.

 

[crypticdragons]

if it was a reptisun 10.0 you will be fine just make sure he can get with 8 inches of the light at his closest point.

 

[renich]

Sammy, it doesn't sound like you had a good experience at all at the pet store. I would consider going somewhere else. You are the customer and you should spend your money on what you want.

I remember when we bought Bernie's adult viv. The owner thought we were crazy, but sold us the viv anyway. Who wouldn't want more room to roam around.

There are a lot of good stores online. You may want to consider using these. I hate to sound so pessimistic about this, but there are soooo many pet stores who give bad advice when it comes to caring for bearded dragons. Don't get me wrong, some are good, but it sounds like your store didn't sell you anything you wanted.

Sand is not good for a baby. I'll admit that I've used it, but I used it when Bernie reached 1 year old.

The reptiGLO is not a good UV light for beardies. I have to order the ReptiSun online because I can't find it anywhere locally. I would consider returning everything and ordering the correct products online.

Pet Mountain and Reptile Supply have everything you need.

Also, a heat mat is fine on the side of the viv, but make sure you don't put it underneath.

 

[Sammy]

Hiya all, heres an update about Ronnie, he's eating and pooping well, and hes alert.
He seems to be alot happier now in his new vivarium.
Ive still got a few concerns about proper lighting and use of a heat mat, ive mentioned that in a new post 'Temperatures'.
(Its cold here in england, lol.)
Il try and take a few photos of Ronnie in his new setting, so you can see how cute he is.
Thanks for all the advise, im sure Ronnie wouldn't have survived much longer without the changes ive done, thanks to you.
Ive still a few more bits to do ... but im getting there.
Thanks again,
Sammy & Ronnie.